My family and I have a smoothie every morning for breakfast. After our smoothie, my kids eat a bowl or two of oatmeal to finish filling them up. Just recently I discovered oat groats, and we will never go back! Oat groats are essentially the oat kernel that has been removed from the inedible hard shell or husk. Normal old fashion oats are basically oat groats that have been steamed and rolled out. When you eat oat groats, you are getting the least-processed version and therefore the healthiest / fullest edible form of the oats. I found my oat groats in the bulk bin section of my grocery store. If I remember at night, I will cook them overnight so they are hot and ready in the morning and then place the leftovers into tupperware containers for the rest of the week’s breakfasts. However, I usually forget at night, so I end up cooking my oat groats and water in my crock-pot in the morning so they can cook all day and then at night I put the cooked oat groats into little tupperware containters and place it in my refrigerator.  One batch usually lasts us about a week.

This is what the oat groats look like when they are fully cooked:

We do all sorts of oatmeal concoctions. I always add a little almond milk to it to make it nice and creamy and then I add in the toppings. Some of our favorites mix ins are peanut butter and banana (my husband and I’s favorite), peanut butter and raisins, frozen blueberries and cinnamon, peanut butter and craisins (Notice a trend here? We really like peanut butter around here…)

Cooking Oat Groats in a Crock-pot

 

Print

Cook time

7 hours

Total time

7 hours

 

Author: GreenLeavesAndJam.com

Ingredients

• 2 cups oat groat kernels
• 6½ - 8 cups water*
• desired toppings

Directions

1. Place the oat groat kernels and water in a large crock-pot.
2. Turn the heat to low and allow it to cook for 7 hours.
3. Once the 7 hours is up, remove the oat groats from your crock-pot and either eat them right away or place them in containers in your fridge.

Re-heating instructions:

1. Spoon out the amount of oat groats you would like to eat into a microwave safe bowl. Break up the large clumps just a bit with your spoon. Add a few tablespoons of water or almond milk to the bowl and then microwave for about a minute. Break up the rest of the clumps by stirring the oat groats. Add in a little more almond milk until it reaches your favorite oatmeal consistency. Add in toppings and enjoy!

*The oat groats in the pictures were made with 6½ cups of water. The more water you add, the softer and "mushier" the oat groats will be. I have done as much as 8 cups before. The oat groats were pretty mushy and soft when I used the 8 cups. Add the amount of water based on how soft you would like your oat groats to be.

3.2.2929

Here’s to being just a little bit healthier this week!

Kristin

P.s. Happy Cinco De Mayo! Too bad I planned to make quinoa tacos on Sunday with friends or I’d be making them tonight!